The Pure Knight Rises
by RobinsonSiblings
Summary: By TFTime & Wilbur-Nator. The Kingdom of Camelot has been overthrown. The Pure Sword Order is destroyed. Darkness has fallen over the Dimension of Knights. Five years later, a rag-tag team of young Mobians, the Remnant, appears, and their leader has one goal – to bring as many people back to the Light as possible. The War of Souls has begun ... and Morpheus is right in the middle.
1. Prologue

**Hi, guys, this is TFTime with my new story, "The Pure Knight Rises"! I hope this wasn't too rushed, it took me three days to write despite being so short, but don't worry, I plan on making the chapters longer as we get deeper in. This is just a filler for the events that will play out in the next chapter, and is the first story I've written in a long time, so go easy on me. Hope you like the Beethoven joke, and I snuck in two references, one from "Wreck-It Ralph" and the other from "Alice in Wonderland, 2010". Let's see who can catch them! :D (And yeah, I know neither Beethoven or Tchaikovsky were alive in King Arthur's time, but this is FanFiction. Anything can happen)**

**I own the characters First, Tribe, Sefer, Adise, Pearl, and Mist, and also own the Pure Sword Order. I do not, however, own Knightius, which is the world of King Arthur, Cinos, Avalon, or Caliburn, SEGA does. If you wish, go to the trailer for this story, it will tell you who's who version-wise. This story may be slightly AU and sometimes OOC in some parts, but hey, nobody's perfect!**

**Theme Song for TPKR & Morpheus: "Juno Reactor – Navras HQ"**

_**Wilbur: It's great until you hit 0:16 – then it's awesome!**_

**TF: Even if it IS in Latin.**

_**Wilbur: Makes it better. "Dies Irae" is in Latin, right?**_

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_"Smile at a stranger. See what happens." – Patti LuPone_

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**THE PURE KNIGHT RISES**

**✠ Prologue ✠**

The ballroom was filled with light, laughter ringing through the starry, night sky. Music played gaily in the background, celebrating the the two-hundreth anniversary of Knightius, the Dimension of Knights. The white marble room, decorated with various types of flowers, was lit up with candles and torches that reflected off the gleaming pillars, and the room itself was filled with just about every species of Mobian you could imagine. The human-like, anthropomorphic animals, usually so serious, were throughly enjoying themselves through chatter, joking around with each other about past events and a number of couples dancing across the floor.

She had never felt so out of place.

The pure white Cat, twenty-six years old, sighed softly, tugging at the diamond choker around her neck, dark brown eyes wandering over the crowd. Her left eye had a green streak running across it, and her long tail was fluffed out at the end, with rounded, diamond-pierced ears perked up and her nose a pale pink. Over her hands were long, white, opera gloves with blue crystal bracelets around her wrists, and she wore a long, ornate, dark blue ball-gown. Silver patterns decorated the front of the dress and ran along the bottom frill, and silver-colored shoes were slipped over her feet, ankle bracelets matching the ones around her hands. A small, diamond tiara topped her head, nestled in her pure white hair, shoulder-length and almost blending in with her fur.

Giving the choker another pull and considering loosening it for fear she might choke, (it _was _a choker for a reason, she supposed) the Cat quietly made her way over to one of the quieter corners of the ballroom, besides a jar with roses spilling out. The Cat's name was First, Lady First the Cat. She was the oldest daughter of one of the dukes in Knightius, Lord Sefer the Cat, and his wife, Lady Adise the Cat, and also the first-born. A wonder her younger siblings hadn't been named Second or Third or so forth, she couldn't help but think, causing a faint smile to flicker across her white muzzle.

Reaching the jar of roses, she leaned against the wall, crossing her arms to stare up at the painted ceiling. She disliked going to parties, simply because she couldn't strike up a conversation to save her life most of the time. But only a week before, one of First's close friends, Lady Pearl the Cat, had fallen ill with a mild cold. Unable to attend the ball herself, Pearl had begged First to go for her and tell her everything that happened, not wanting to miss something important. Ah, Pearl was always like that, and never could First resist the pink Cat's pleadings. She was pretty sure Pearl knew that too, which might explain why she always singled her out for substituting when she was prevented from attending any type of event.

_Which happens quite often, _First mused silently. _I wonder if she fails to attend purposefully._

"I highly doubt that."

First quickly jerked her head back down, wide, brown eyes meeting the amused, bright golden ones of a second Cat, looking to be twenty-nine and leaning against the pillar next to her, crossing his arms. He was a dull orange color with darker orange, almost red stripes, indicating his type as that of a Tabby, with a white muzzle and a white, swirling, mark on his chest similar to a portal. His ears were sharp, not rounded like her own, and he was wearing a long, dark brown robe, the sleeves and bottom edged with small, golden patterns. Around his waist was a golden belt with a neon-blue stone in the center, and over his hands were dark brown gloves with golden bracelets. The robe also seemed to have a hood attached, but it was thrown back, and around his neck was a necklace of some sort – it appeared to be a cross carved out of black obsidian. He studied her. "I didn't scare you, did I?"

She blinked as she realized what he had said sounded an awful lot like he was answering the unspoken words in her head. "How did you ..."

He smiled warmly. "I can read minds, particularly at night."

The Cat held out a brown-gloved hand. "My name is Tribe. Tribe the Tabby Cat. You?"

First blushed slightly, but reached out and timidly shook his hand. "Lady First the Cat."

Tribe's golden eyes lit up. "Are you related to anybody named Lord Sefer?"

She nodded. "He's my father."

The Cat released her hand with a chuckle crossing his arms once again. "Well, he's certainly not little-known around here, especially after what happened in the Battle of Kult. I hate dragons. You must be very proud of him."

First's blush deepened. "I-I suppose ..."

She wasn't quite sure why she was blushing so much, nor why she felt so warm. It couldn't be the night, it was actually somewhat cold outside, with a nice breeze that spelled of apple blossoms. Besides, this warmth felt different, but she couldn't figure out why ... Tribe pointed out at the crowd of Mobians. "Why aren't you out there with them?"

"Why aren't you?" she countered.

The Cat shrugged. "I have my reasons. Besides, you looked lonely, and I wanted to cheer you up."

First blinked. "Why me? We barely know each other, so why would you care?"

"Because I _want _to know you better," Tribe answered, then sighed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Really, what I'm trying to say is ... um ... do you ... want to dance?"

The white Cat's brown eyes widened. "... M-me? Dance ... with you?"

Tribe nodded, and this time, it was First's turn to rub the back of her diamond-collared neck, brown eyes falling to the floor as she felt the warmth rise in her chest. "Um ... well, I ... I don't know, I mean ... this is happening so quickly, I ... I guess ..."

She took a deep breath and lifted her eyes to stare back at Tribe, giving a shy, timid smile. "All right."

Tribe's golden gaze lit up again, and without even giving her time to possibly change her mind, he gently grabbed one of her white-gloved hands in his own brown one and pulled her out into the crowd of the ball-room. Several of the guests nodded politely at them, and the familiar melody of Bearthoven's "Fur Elise" began playing. Both of the Cat's ears perked up, and they turned to face each other. Tribe smiled and held out his hands. "May I have this dance?"

First smiled back and latched her hands onto Tribe's. "Of course."

* * *

"That was fun."

First smiled at the Tabby's way of putting it. "I suppose ..."

She leaned her elbows on the white, stone railing, staring out at the gleaming moon that hung in the night sky. It was much quieter here on the balcony then it was inside the Camelot Castle, with a cool breeze, and blooming vines swirled their way around massive, engraved pillars. The sounds of faint laughter and soft music reached her ears, and the white Cat sighed to herself, using one finger to trace the green streak across her eye. Tribe, who was next to her in the same position as herself, glanced at her. "The words 'I suppose' seem to be a catchphrase with you, doesn't it?"

First blushed. "Well, I sup–"

She clapped her hands over her muzzle, and Tribe grinned. "See?"

The blue-gowned Cat huffed slightly, lightly hitting Tribe's shoulder. "Oh, you!"

She could feel another blush creeping up up her face, and quickly turned away, hoping it was dark enough for the redness of her face to not be easily noticed. Goodness, what was it with her and blushing lately? Was she sick? First reached up, touching her forehead lightly. No, her temperature felt normal, so she couldn't possibly have a fever. The only other thing her warmth could be from would be ... no, that was impossible. She'd just met Tribe, she didn't think of him like ... like that!

"Like what?"

First facepalmed inwardly. Right, he could read minds. Just brilliant. "Um ... nothing."

She twirled a lock of her white hair slowly, brown eyes dropping to the grassy ground far below, and Tribe touched one of her hands. "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

First bit her lip. "Tribe ... I know we've only just met, but ... what do you think of me?"

The Tabby's golden eyes blinked, and he looked back out at the moon. "Well, you're nice, somewhat shy, a good dancer, and ... really pretty."

First looked at him. "R-really? Me?"

Tribe nodded, and she ducked her head down, blushing deeply. Gosh, what was wrong with her? Usually she was horrible at talking to people, but she had no problem with this orange Cat. Was she ... in love? Oh, what was she thinking? She'd only just met this Mobian, it was impossible to fall in love that quickly! She couldn't love him! And yet ... and yet she did ... so very much. "Where are you from?" she asked out of the blue, surprising even herself.

Tribe pointed out into the distance. "Far back on the outskirts of Camelot, before the Lake of Avalon and Knightius Forest, a place called Forgotten Path. I wouldn't expect you to know about it – it isn't called that for nothing, and is virtually isolated. Nobody goes there these days. I live there."

"So ... why are you here?" First questioned curiously.

Tribe crossed his arms. "Mandatory. All leaders were to come"

She raised an eyebrow, studying the Cat. "You're a leader? Of what?"

He didn't take his golden eyes off of where the Knightius Forest could be seen in the distance. "A tribe. We're not too well-known, but us and the Round Table Knights are friendly, so that's enough. It's called the Pure Tribe, otherwise known as the Pure Sword Order. I'm the leader. My father, Mist, passed away a few years back, so I inherited the leadership from him."

First winced. "This may sound old, but ... I'm sorry."

Tribe's eyes darted to her, and he smiled softly. "Thanks."

Glancing back at the forest, he stepped away from the railing, straightening up. First also turned to see why he had moved, and the orange Tabby sighed. "I'm sorry," he said apologetically. "But I have to go. It's dangerous these days for a Pure Tribe member to be alone for very long. We have many powerful enemies, and not all of them are in the ... _natural_ realm. It's dangerous that I'm even _speaking_ to you, because you might become a target."

Tribe smiled. "It was nice to meet you, though, First."

The white Cat nodded slowly. "I ... I suppose. It was nice to meet you as well."

He nodded back at her, then spun around to leave. Suddenly, something grabbed the sleeve of his robe. "Wait!"

Tribe turned to find First holding tightly onto the brown material, and she lowered her gaze, blushing again. "Tribe ... um ... I-I just wanted to say that I ... I ... I really ... enjoyed our time together, and I was wondering ..."

She took a deep breath. "... When can I see you again?"

Tribe blinked in confusion. "See me again?" he echoed.

First nodded, and the Tabby blinked again. "But ... that's dangerous. You're a nice Mobian, and I really do like you, but if something were to happen–"

The white Cat cut him off. "Stop it. I don't care if it's dangerous. I want to see you again because I ... I ..."

First folded her hands behind her back, gazing down at the marble floor with her dark brown eyes, blue dress swishing around her feet. It was now or never. No turning back now ... "I ... I love you."

Tribe stared at her, when a small, faint smile appeared on his muzzle, and he stepped forward to draw her into a hug. "... I love you too."

The two stayed like that for a minute, when they both pulled away, First smoothing out her dress, white muzzle tinged pink at the thought Tribe actually returned her feelings. Tribe motioned in the direction of the ball-room with a grin. "The Tribe can wait. Would you like to dance again?"

First smiled shyly and grabbed one of his hands. "I'd love to."

The two Cats quickly ran back into the lighted ball-room as the Tchaikovsky song "Pas De Deux" started playing, and the moment they were gone, a large ray of moonlight next to one of the pillars were split in half, like someone drawing a curtain. Two Mobians, one pink and one blue, stepped out from between the halves, and the pink one pulled the moonbeams back into place, melding them together. She looked back in the direction First and Tribe had gone in a sighed dreamily, resting one hand on her cheek. "Ah ... young love."

The blue one chuckled, nudging her gently. "They're older then both of us, Aves," he pointed out.

The female Mobian huffed slightly. "Besides the point, Cinokku!"

She was a rose-pink Hedgehog, who shoulder-length hair and three bangs hanging over her large, emerald-green green eyes. Her muzzle was bare of fur and showed her pale peach skin, as did her arms. She wore a pale blue, turquoise, and aqua gown edged with white lace and adorned with golden medallions onto which were carved the symbol of a rose blossom, the hem of her dress decorated with dark blue symbols. A golden belt was around her waist, and she wore long, white opera gloves with golden bracelets, a white bow around her neck. Holding back her hair-quills was a pale blue headband with matching medallions, and her ears were sharply pointed.

Her acquaintance was another Hedgehog, a male one that was a bright, cobalt-blue, with identical, emerald-green eyes. His muzzle, arms, and chest were bare of fur, showing peach skin, and he had sharp quills on his head and back. His ears were also pointed, as was his short tail, and he was wearing a dark red cloak edged with golden symbols, a gold medallion on each shoulder. He wore red shoes striped with white and gold, a green emerald at each heel, and around his wrists and ankles were white cuffs edged with the same gold symbols on his cloak. There was a golden crown slipped onto his head, a red ruby in the center, and he had two different gloves – his left one was a plain, white one, but the right one was metal-plated, the wrist golden with a red ruby embedded in it.

The two Hedgehogs were Lady Avalon the Hedgehog, fifteen, who kept and protected the powerful Avalon lake, and King Cinos the Hedgehog, the newly-crowned ruler despite only being seventeen. They were also well-known as a budding couple, and nobody doubted they would most likely be married in the years ahead. Avalon smoothed out her blue gown as she continued. "There's such a thing as love at first sight, and I think that's what they have."

Cinos snickered. "You'd know all about that, huh?"

She laughed. "Why'd you think I started following you around when we first met as kids?"

He ruffled her pink bangs, and a voice said, "I just hope you didn't try to _kiss _him when you were kids."

Avalon turned to face the gold-handled, steel-bladed sword that was leaned against the pillar. Around the handle was encrusted various precious gems, and symbols were overlaid on it in silver. However, what made the sword stand out was the fact on the handle was a face, mouth grinning teasingly and pale blue eyes sparkling. She shook her head. "Of course not, we never kissed as kids! I mean, not mouth-to-mouth anyway. I wanted to, though."

The sword made a face of disgust. "Ew."

Cinos rolled his green eyes. "Enough with the comments, Metal-Mouth."

"Blue Rodent."

"Dull-Blade."

"Tripster."

"I don't trip!"

Avalon groaned, covering her pink ears. "My gosh, Cinos! Caliburn! Do you two ever_ not_ argue?"

"Sure," the sword, Caliburn, answered, nodding his handle towards Cinos. "When he's not saying anything."

Cinos flicked one ear in annoyance. "If anyone should not be saying anything, it's you! Who's ever heard of a living, breathing, talking _sword _before?"

Caliburn's blue eyes narrowed. "Who's ever heard of a walking, talking, hedgehog that's _blue?"_

Avalon held up her hands. "All right, I've heard enough!"

Reaching out, she grabbed Cinos' metal-gloved hand and pointed at the ball-room. "Let's go see the others! Gawain even brought Viven here!"

The teenaged couple ran into the ball-room, still holding hands, and Caliburn raised a metal eyebrow. "The Echidna girl that's afraid of crowds?"

He chuckled, straightening up, and hopped after Avalon and Cinos with his steel blade. "Now this I _gotta _see."

* * *

_ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres._

_And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love._

_1 Corinthians 13: 4–7 & 13, New International Version (NIV)_

_TF (TFTime)_

_W.N. (Wilbur-Nator)_


	2. Chapter One: New Life

******And here is the long-awaited (hopefully) second chapter of Pure Knight! Sorry for taking so long, it took a while to write. Anyway, just as a fun fact, I actually based the character of Sah off of Cheshire in "Alice in Wonderland 2010", as if you type in "What does sah mean?" in Google, a definition of the game of chess comes up, and I have always thought of Cheshire when I hear the word "chess". I also apologize if this sounds a bit rushed, but this is part of the story. Don't like, don't read. It takes time to write stuff, you know. I also know that usually, baby animals don't open their eyes until a few weeks, but this is Mobians we're talking about. You don't see green Cats often either. XD**

******I own the characters First, Tribe, Morpheus, Sah, and Efeu, and also own the Pure Sword Order. I do not, however, own Knightius, which is the world of King Arthur, SEGA does.**

**__********__****Wilbur: In the last chapter, two Cat Mobians named First and Tribe meet each other during a ball, and their meeting turns into a case of love at first sight. Now that they're mates years later, they finally have their first child ... but not without heart-break.**

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_"The responsibility of carrying and bringing a new life into this world is one that cannot be taken lightly." – Gloria Estefan_

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**THE PURE KNIGHT RISES**

**✠ Chapter One: New Life ✠**

An orange Tabby Cat paced nervously back and forth outside the closed hall door, one gloved hand clenched against his mouth, tail whipping back and forth as his golden eyes bored into the floor. The room he was in was large, with white marble pillars and floor, and the walls were made of dark gray stone, torches lit with flames and creating shadows that danced across the dim walls. While one wall had a wooden, carved door in it, the other was made completely out of glass, giving a view of the lightening sky outside as dawn began to break, and both walls made up the longer sides of the rectangular space.

Tribe was currently, and obviously, an emotional wreck as he waited for news to come from the other side of the wooden doors. It had been almost five years since the night he and First had met each other during the ball in Camelot Castle, and despite their love-at-first-sight feelings, they decided to wait and see how things worked out. One year later, Tribe and First had gone out to the Avalon Lake, where Tribe proposed to her. First joyfully accepted, and they became engaged, then married. It had been a little over a year since their wedding day, thus why the Tabby was so nervous at the moment.

First was going to have a kit.

Tribe spun around in time to keep from slamming into a wall, like he'd been doing for the past several hours, and resumed pacing in the opposite direction. "What if something's wrong?" he asked worriedly. "This is taking so long!"

_"Tribe, you know better then to speak negative thoughts ..."_ a whispering voice answered. _"Besides, it takes time to bring new life into a world."_

Tribe stopped, turning to face the second Tabby leaning against a marble pillar in one corner. It was a dark, silvery gray color with aqua stripes that glowed softly, with large, aqua eyes that were not slanted, unlike most Cat's, and rimmed with black. He was wearing a dark gray robe edged with glowing, aqua symbols, and white gloves cuffed with crystal, aqua bands. His tail, long and fluffed out at the end, flicked back and forth slowly, and his arms were crossed. Around his waist was an aqua belt, and a necklace was strung around his neck, a crescent-moon hanging on it in a type of position that resembled a grin.

Tribe crossed his own arms with a sigh. "I know, Sah, but still ..." he murmured. "I-I just don't know if I'll be a good father or not. What if I'm horrible at being a parent? I've never done anything like this before!"

The silver and aqua Cat, Sah the Tabby Moon Cat, smiled like he did so often. _"Calm down, you will do fine. Being a parent is instinct. It is part of life. When the child comes, you will know what to do."_

The orange Tabby resumed pacing. "I hope you're right, then ..." he muttered.

Sah's smile widened. _"When have I ever been wrong?"_ he asked.

Tribe gave a small laugh. "Never, as far as I know."

He stopped as his ears perked up, smile vanishing, and the faint sound of footsteps emitted from behind the closed doors, coming closer. Tribe stiffened nervously, and Sah glanced at the door. _"I assume that is my cue to leave. Fairfarren."_

With that, the silver Cat dissolved into a puff of gray and blue mist, swirling down the hallway and vanishing. The footsteps stopped, and the doors opened up to reveal a young, female Mobian standing there. She was also a Cat, bright green in color, with pale brown eyes and a white muzzle. Her large ears were a dark tan color inside, and she wore a sleeveless, navy blue dress with a slit on the left side, knee-length. Around her waist were two brown, leather straps tied to a golden Ring, and her shoes were tan sandals. Over her hands were white gloves with green bands around the wrists, and around her head was a band of golden medallions, carved with intricate circles and shapes.

Tribe stepped towards her. "First! Is she ...?"

Efeu the Cat, the midwife, smiled gently and nodded. "She's fine. Come with me, you may see her now."

Opening the doors wider, Efeu turned on her heel and set off back the way she had come. Tribe quickly walked after her, catching up to the female in the dark hallway, the torches at the sides the only things giving off light. The Tabby figured his black, cross necklace nervously, and Efeu looked back at him, grinning. "Well, I have some good news. The delivery was a success. First just had a kit, a boy Kitsune Cat."

"A Kitsune?" Tribe asked in surprise.

In Knightius, a Kitsune was a Mobian that, due to certain DNA warping, possessed more then one tail, sometimes as many as nine. Efeu shrugged. "The world works in mysterious ways, and this is one of them. He's a three-tail."

The Tabby looked worried. "Having extra tails won't have any negative side affects, will it?"

The green Mobian shook her head. "No. If anything, it will raise the chances of him having extra abilities. Besides, the child having three tails isn't what I'm particularly worried about at the moment ..."

She turned away, quickening her pace, and Tribe's fur stood on end as he also sped up. "What's wrong with the kit?" he whispered.

Efeu looked at him in surprise. "H-how'd you know that?"

Tribe stared at her. "I read minds, remember? So tell me. What is wrong with the kit?"

Efeu stared back at him, then bit her lip and lowered her gaze down at the marble floor as she stopped outside a closed door. Reaching out, she placed her hand against the door and just stood there, tail flicking as she avoided Tribe's golden eyes. His mouth set in a thin line, and he touched her shoulder with one brown-gloved hand. "You can tell me. It's my child, I have a right to know. Maybe I can do something."

The midwife shook her head. "No ..." she murmured. "There's nothing anyone can do."

She took a deep breath and raised her head, brown eyes meeting Tribe's gaze. "The kit ... he's stone blind."

The new father stared at her, golden eyes wide with shock. "... What?"

Efeu nodded. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do for something like that."

She pushed against the wooden door, which swung open, and nodded at the room beyond. "You can go in now. You and First might need to talk."

Tribe looked back at the open door, then quietly walked into the room, looking around. It was small, but cozy, with stone walls and the same, marble floor. A large window was in the far wall, showing the brightening sky, and several chairs were scattered around the room itself. In the middle of the room, to the left, was a dull blue and white canopy bed, to which on either side was a vase of flowers, the torches slowly going out as light began to come into the room. Tribe crept over softly and smiled at the person in the bed, a white Cat wearing a pale blue nightgown. He gently touched her arm. "First?"

Dark brown eyes opened, and First smiled weakly up at her mate. "Morning ..." she murmured.

Tribe cocked his head. "How are you feeling?"

She yawned, raising one ungloved hand to rub her green-streaked eye. "Very tired, but happy ... having a child was worth everything."

The Cat looked up at Tribe. "Do you want to see him?"

Tribe nodded, a grin spreading across his white muzzle, and First sat up in bed, lifting up a small bundle that had been nestled in her lap. She held it up to her mate, and he took it in his arms, staring down at the bundle in awe. The bundle was a small, curled-up, Cat, pale gray in color with a white muzzle. His ears, unusually large, had white fur inside, and his closed eyes were slanted and lined with black. On his chest was a white mark in the shape of a perfect spiral, exactly like the one Tribe had on his own chest, and he had three, white-tipped tails, hands and feet mittened with white fur.

The kitten stirred slightly in Tribe's grip, then uncurled and opened his eyes, staring up at Tribe. Or, in his general direction. The Tabby felt his heart sink as he saw the tiny Mobian's eyes were a pure, milky white, and he remembered what Efeu had said. He looked at First. "... So he really is ...?"

First bit her lower lip as she nodded faintly. Tribe looked back down at the kit, who flicked his left ear and reached up, trying to touch something. Tribe held out one finger, and the kitten grabbed hold, hugging his hand tightly as he closed his white eyes again, yawning. The white Cat looked down at the blue bed covers, laying back her ears. "I'm sorry ..." she whispered.

Tribe lifted his gaze to his mate again. "Sorry?" he asked. "Why would you be sorry?"

First tried to hold back tears that were threatening to overflow her dark brown eyes. "I just ... I f-feel like all this is m-my fault. I mean, you do everything you c-c-can to try and make sure the child will b-be okay, but maybe I d-d-did something w-wrong for him to be l-l-like this ..."

Her mate's face softened. "Fir, nothing that happened is your fault. So what if he's blind? He's still our child, and to me, he's perfect."

She sniffed, wiping her eyes. "R-really?"

Tribe smiled, leaning down to touch noses with her. "Of course. God has a reason for everything. And who knows? Maybe one day, he'll be a warrior like me!"

She giggled, nuzzling him back. "What about me?"

He grinned. "What do you mean, you? It's a boy, isn't it?"

First swatted him playfully, then brushed aside her white hair and leaned against the pillows, yawning tiredly. There was a light yank from around Tribe's neck, and he looked down in surprise to see the kitten had released his finger and was instead grabbing onto the black cross on his necklace, hugging it. It raised it's milky gaze to stare up at him, something Tribe found a little eerie by the fact the kitten couldn't even really see him, yet acted as though he did. He looked at First. "What should we name him?"

She smiled dreamily. "Morpheus."

Tribe blinked. "... Morpheus? Why Morpheus? I thought you didn't like the gods in Greek mythology."

First shook her head. "I don't. I'm not referring to the name of the god Morpheus, I'm referring to a different one. Avalon told me, once, that Cinos occasionally jumped through different dimensions of our world to see what they were like."

"That wouldn't surprise me," Tribe chuckled. "He seems to know a lot about such things as alternate dimensions."

His mate shrugged. "Well, he once told her that, in another dimension called Mobius, the main one, there was this thing called The Matrix. Apparently, they have this creation of moving pictures you can see over and over again like a memory, but it's usually fictional, and it's called a movie. The Matrix was a movie, and it was about a false world created entirely in people's minds. The main plot of the story was about other people trying to free the rest of the world from this made-up reality by waking them up, and one of the main characters was someone named Morpheus. Since our child is blind, he won't see anything. Like he's always asleep, yet awake at the same time."

Tribe cocked his head thoughtfully, and First flicked her right ear. "Do ... do you like it?"

The orange Tabby Cat broke into a grin. "It's perfect. Morpheus. Morpheus the Gospel Kitsune Cat."

Looking down at the gray kitten, Tribe turned around to face the window, out of which was streaming soft, pastel colors as the sun finally broke over the hills, bathing Knightius in the light of dawn. Easter Sunday had arrived, the day Christ rose from the dead ... and they had a son. The kitten, now named Morpheus, stretched out one hand in the direction of the rising sun, and Tribe smiled.

"Hello, Morpheus ... welcome to the world."

* * *

_"Hear, you deaf; And look, you blind, that you may see. Who [is] blind but My servant, Or deaf as My messenger [whom] I send? Who [is] blind as [he who is] perfect, And blind as the LORD's servant?"_

_Isaiah 42: 18–19, New King James Version (NKJV)_

_TF (TFTime)_

_W.N. (Wilbur-Nator)_


	3. Chapter Two: Dark Shadows

******Here is the official second chapter of TPKR, people, and where we'll start picking stuff up! The first two chapters were really fillers for the events that are going to play out here and afterward, so we'll have skipped ahead in time again. I'd also like to thank Ashblossom (I know who you are!) for pointing out my error in First's name – I was accidentally calling her Genesis, who is a different character all together. That has been corrected.**

******WARNING: There will be some action fighting, mild language, and uh ... some demons ...**

******I own the characters First, Tribe, Morpheus, Orrin, Daemon, Supul, Gehenna, and the Ammons, and also own the Pure Sword Order. I do not, however, own Knightius, which is the world of King Arthur, SEGA does, nor any of the other characters. The Guardian of the Mind Sword, in case you can't take a wild guess, is Galahad (Silver's Knight version). Since the characters are all the Knight versions, they'll be a bit different, but they're still owned by SEGA, and still very much like the originals.**

******I also don't own lightsabers, I suppose the creators of Star Wars do. They're awesome weapons, you gotta admit! And thanks to God for helping me write this, and you know what? Be ready for the second coming of Christ, whether you want to hear it or not, I don't care. You soon will. Only after I wrote this did I realize just how close we are to the actual coming darkness – both spiritually and physically.**

**__********__****Wilbur: In the last chapter, the day First and Tribe were waiting for had finally arrived, and they got a son who, unfortunately, is stone-blind. It's seven years later, and Tribe is gradually training Morpheus into preparing to be leader one day. Unfortunately, this leadership might come earlier then anticipated when the Dark Ones, led by Solar the Dark Snake, decide to take drastic measures against the Pure Swords – murder.**

* * *

_"What a blind person needs is not a teacher, but another self." – Helen Keller_

* * *

**THE PURE KNIGHT RISES**

**✠ Chapter Two: Dark Shadows ✠**

_Seven years later ..._

The wind screeched and howled through the black tree branches of Knightius Forest, a dark gray mist swirling between the leafy pillars and creating a deadly, foreboding air that warned of darkness. Black storm clouds gathered overhead as thunder rumbled, lightning within the clouds lighting them up a piercing white for one brief second before vanishing, and one could scarcely tell it was only a little past noon. The scent of rain hung heavily in the damp air, and the thickly-foliaged and eerie area was deserted ... or so it appeared.

A blur of brown, and an orange Tabby Cat sprinted out of the silvery fog, hood pulled over his head and a blood-red lightsaber with a golden hilt clasped in one brown-gloved hand. Tribe quickly ducked behind the trunk of a thick tree, panting slightly as he pressed his back against the damp wood. His golden eyes scanned the surrounding forest as his ears swiveled, on high-alert as every fiber of his body tensed. Then ... he saw it.

A dark shadow flitting from one tree to disappear behind another.

Gritting his teeth, Tribe tightened his grip on his glowing lightsaber and slowly backed away from where he had seen the shadow, trying to calm his rapid breathing. It was small, but it was also fast, and it was only a matter of time before something happened. Because he wasn't alone. Slanted eyes still trained on where he had seen the darkness last, Tribe abruptly froze as he felt a cold chill run down his spine ... whipping around, he saw a black lightsaber flash out of the darkness, swinging at his neck, and quickly held up his blade in front of him.

The two weapons clashed in a burst of energy as the red deflected the black's blow, and there was a snarl as the shadow materialized in front of the Cat, lunging at him as it swung the electric sword. Tribe dropped to the ground in time to duck that blow as well, rolling to the side in a blur of brown and orange, then scrambled to his feet again and into a battle stance, lightsaber clenched as his golden eyes flashed, teeth bared and striped tail whipping back and forth.

The shadow spun around to face him, flashing razor-sharp fangs, and leaped forward, slashing out at Tribe. The Cat dodged and deflected the impacts, narrowly missing getting his whiskers sliced off, and dealt a sharp blow at the shadow creature, who dissolved before the sword could make contact with the dark mist of it's body. It reappeared a distance from the warrior and raised one black hand, and a white stream of crackling energy shot out like a lightning-bolt. The Tabby Cat threw his hands up away from the ground, and a red orb shot out of the wet soil like a wall, the energy slamming into it with an explosion of pink light.

Tribe then threw his hands towards the shadow, and the red orb dissolved together into a beam, rushing at the creature, who somersaulted over the attack in the blink of an eye and sent a blast of black mist at the Cat. He ducked, allowing the blast to smash into a tree, then leaped forward and swung his lightsaber. The black shadow deflected the attack with it's own black energy sword, and shoved his blade away to bring it's lightsaber down at his head.

Tribe dodged to the side, the electric energy slicing through the fiber of his brown hood and narrowing missing his left ear, and swiftly slashed his blade against the left arm of the shadow. The creature screamed in pain, spinning around as it went to bite the warrior Cat, and he drew his red saber back and stabbed the dark shadow in the chest with a scream of anger. Instantly, the creature collapsed to the ground, motionless, and Tribe stood stock still as he stared down at the misty body.

Thunder rumbled, and he breathed outward, pulling off his hood to wipe the dampness off of his orange fur, then clicked the lightsaber off, the beam vanishing into it's hilt. Pressing the hilt against his chest, the weapon vanished, and Tribe kneeled down besides the body, golden eyes narrowed. Then he smiled.

"You're getting better at dying."

A hand reached up and swatted the Tabby's white muzzle. "Pa-_pa!" _the shadow giggled, sitting up as it dissolved back into the form of a black-hooded Cat. "Tell me something else I do not know!"

The Cat, a male, was a dark, misty gray color, with a pure white muzzle, slightly large ears, and a white, spiral marking matching Tribe's on his chest. He had three tails, each tipped with white, and had black lining his slanted eyes. He wore a jet-black robe that reached the ground, attached to a hood, and a silver belt was around his waist, the sleeves, neck, and edging of the robe sporting intricate, silver symbols. White gloves were pulled over his hands, cuffed with jet-black bands that had a white, cross-like stripe circling it, and dark gray bangs poked out from underneath his hood, which was pulled over his head. The Cat looked very young, probably a kitten of around seven years old, and what was most striking about him was his eyes. They lacked irises or even pupils, and were a pure, milky white color.

The Cat scrambled to his feet from playing "dead" and lunged at Tribe, wrapping his arms around the older's neck in a hug, and Tribe laughed. "All right, all right! You're improving in lightsaber combat, I have to give you that."

His son's unseeing eyes lit up. "Really?" Morpheus asked.

Tribe ruffled Morpheus' black hood and scooped him up into his arms before standing up. "Really."

Thunder cracked, and the Cat decided now was a good time to end combat practice. Using his tail to pick up the dropped, black lightsaber and slip it into one of the pockets in his robe, he then pulled his hood back over his head and walked into the surrounding blackness of the foggy trees. His golden eyes glanced up as the sky was lit by a flash of lightning, and Morpheus sighed in contentment, burying his face into Tribe's shoulder and wrapping his triple tails around himself. The Tabby smiled softly, picking up his pace as he headed in the direction of Hidden Path.

It had been seven years since the Easter Sunday morning Morpheus had been born, and to Tribe and First, their only son was perfect. As their child grew older, his once-silver fur darkened to a deep gray matching the shade of storm clouds, and it became apparent that his blindness was permanent, his eyes virtually useless. But that never bothered him, as it turned out Morpheus was born with a very rare power that replaced his lost sense of sight, and that power was heat sense.

There were many different types of heat sense, and all of them worked in varying degrees of ways, some sensitive while others were not. Morpheus was sensitive, and far beyond the normal range of sensitive. Not only could his body pick up the other heat waves emitting from other Mobians and creatures nearby, but also the heat from every single object around him, from the Camelot Castle to a single, inked letter in the Bible. These heat waves, when put together in the Cat's mind, formed a kind of "picture" of the world around him, even from up to five hundred yards away, almost as if he was like everyone else. If you didn't see the blank stare of his milky eyes, you'd never even know the boy was stone-blind.

Morpheus also clearly took after both his parents, possessing First's friendly, warm, slightly shy personality, but at the same time having inherited Tribe's sense of humor, minor sarcasm, way of leadership, and fierce fighting skills. The fighting skills most of all. Goodness, he was only seven and already wielding a lightsaber! At first, Tribe wasn't sure if letting such a young kitten use a sword was a good idea, but Morpheus would have none of it, and had pleaded for so long that his father finally agreed to teach him battle techniques. Six months later, Tribe was absolutely stunned at the progress his Kitsune son had made. It was almost as if battling was a natural part of him, and every practice he got better and better – not only at "dying", but also using his inborn and learned powers.

Still, Tribe hadn't engaged Morpheus in a real lightsaber duel as of yet – he was still just a child, albeit an enthusiastic and determined one. When they used their lightsabers in practice, like they had just done several minutes ago, the blades were kept at the lowest energy possible, so it'd just cause a mild sting if brought in contact with someone. But these "fights" were slowly beginning to teach Tribe something. Morpheus wasn't normal. There was something about his son that was different, almost other-worldly, about him, but what it's exact nature was, he couldn't quite place ... he hoped it was good, though.

He was jolted out of his thoughts as Morpheus gently tugged on his black, cross necklace. "Papa? Are we going home now?"

Tribe nodded. "Yes, Morph, we're going home."

He glanced up at the black sky as thunder rumbled, even closer then before. "We wouldn't want to get caught in the middle of a lightning storm, right?"

Morpheus' large, gray ears perked up. "You could just summon a Hedge of Protection," the Cat pointed out.

His father chuckled. "True, but we only use God's gifts when we must," he explained. "We don't use them just to see if they can deflect lightning – which I believe they can."

"Is speaking in tongues a must?" Morpheus asked, cocking his head.

The Tabby nodded. "Yes. Very. Though good luck telling that to the rest of our world."

The child sighed. "I cannot do that yet ..." he murmured.

Tribe ruffled Morpheus' black hood. "Oh, you will. You will. Keep asking Him. And who knows?" he laughed. "Maybe something will come with the rain!"

Morpheus looked up, wrinkling his white muzzle as a drop of water from a tree overhead hit his nose, and he wiped it off with his sleeve. "I hope so. Better then just being wet."

He turned his head to "see" his father. "We going back to Mama?"

Tribe nodded. "Of course, but first, I need to make a stop at the Pure Tent to speak with Orrin, all right?"

Morpheus giggled. "The Doggy with the bell?"

The Tabby smiled faintly. "Yes, Morph. The Doggy with the bell – and Avalon knows what else."

"Why are you going to her?" he asked, cocking his head, white eyes reflecting curiosity.

Tribe glanced up at the sky. "Well ... she's something of an advisor. She knows a lot about certain tactics, so what she says and suggests is very important, also because she is a prophetess and hears from God in dreams. Orrin's also somewhat of a traveller and a carrier. She receives messages via the birds she sends out, and right now, she wants to talk to me about one of them. Something several of the Knights told her of the Cold Realm."

"Cold Realm?" Morpheus echoed.

Tribe shrugged. "A place," he answered, and didn't elaborate.

Shifting his son from one shoulder to the other, the golden-orange Cat then ran farther into the forest, vanishing in a blur of brown as thunder boomed, lightning flashing through the dark trees. He didn't look back, but if he did, he would have noticed a pair of blood-red eyes watching them from the dark shadows nearby ... there was a gust of wind, and the glowing eyes dissipated like a mist, their owner vanishing unseen with them.

It heard everything.

And it knew it's master wasn't going to like what he was going to hear ...

* * *

_**"WHAT?!"** _the white creature hissed, raising his head as he whipped his long tail angrily, eyes glaring down at the black, shadow-like Hedgehog being hovering above the black marble floor.

The creature was actually a Snake, a pure, glistening white and huge, larger then any normal Mobian, head almost touching the ceiling of the dark room. He didn't even look like a Mobian, he appeared to be some kind of over-sized, Earth-dimension snake, yet clearly was not. His eyes were set in his head like dark coals, a dark purple that was almost black, and around his neck was a golden collar studded with purple amethysts. On his head was a golden crown with a black stone in the center, and he possessed a golden rattle and long, white fangs that dripped poison.

The Hedgehog was pitch-black, eyes almost exactly like Morpheus' but blood-red instead of white, with quills that stuck up slightly in the back and a dark, misty aura emitting from his body. He lacked any gloves or cuffs, and his entire face was black, even his muzzle, making it hard to see if he even had a mouth. The bottom part of the Hedgehog, where his legs should be, was dissolved into swirling shadows, similar to how books usually portrayed genies. Only, this wasn't a genie. It was something much, much worse ...

**"You mean to tell me,"** the Snake ranted, opening it's mouth to reveal even more teeth inside of it's mouth, jagged and sharp like those of a shark's. **"That not only hassss the Round Table Knightssss and Orrin gotten wind of the operationssss in the Cold Realm, but they are TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT IT?!"**

The shadow-being nodded, face blank of emotions. "Yes, master."

**"And not only people!"** the Snake continued raving. **"But our ssssworn enemiessss?! THE PURE SSSSWORD ORDER?!"**

"Solar, I beg you, try to calm down," a voice murmured.

The Snake, Solar the Dark Snake, turned to face the dark gray Hedgehog that was standing nearby, arms crossed as he leaned against a black pillar in the smokey, torch-lit throne room, located deep underground. The Mobian was indeed a dark gray, almost black, with a tuft of white fur on his chest and sickly-blue streaks on his upturned quills. His muzzle, deathly pale, lacked any mouth, and his eyes were slanted, a snake-like, piercing green. Pulled over his head was a steel helmet, visor up, with a blue streak on it's front, and his gloves were steel, cuffed with colorless crystals like his ankles were. On his feet were steel shoes edged with blue markings, and against the wall was leaning a large sword, dark steel engraved with black symbols and as big as the Hedgehog himself.

The Snake seemed to heed the Hedgehog's words and, taking a deep breath, closed his eyes. **"You are right, Mephitissss. We musssst take heed to act calmly, or elsssse the entire project of Operation SSSSleep will fail."**

The purple eyes opened. **"Hassss Ablissss been disssspatched to inform the Merlinssss?"**

The Hedgehog, Mephitis, nodded curtly. "Yes. He left at midnight, and should arrive back at headquarters sometime around this evening."

**"Wonderful,"** the Snake smirked, then turned back to the shadow-Mobian. **"You are no longer needed at the moment, Gehenna. Fetch me Daemon and SSSSupul."**

The misty Hedgehog bowed his head slightly before swirling out of the dark throne-room, and Solar turned back to Mephitis. **"What were Orrin'ssss lasssst movementssss assss of lasssst night?"**

Mephitis sighed. "The gates of the camp were anointed with Holy Oil, non of the Ammons were able to pass by, not even Daemon, so their position is unknown. Nobody has seen Orrin leave her tent for weeks not – something is surely up."

**"Dreamssss from _Him,_ I pressssume?"** the Snake hissed. **"I sssswear, the moment I find that curssssed Mobian, I'll–"**

The heavy, stone-doors swung open, cutting off whatever graphic threats the monster had been about to utter, and two beings entered the room, doors slamming closed with a bang. The duo walked up to Solar, bowing their heads in respect, and the first one asked, "You requested us, Solar?"

The first being was a navy-blue, almost black Hedgehog, also emitting a dark aura and possessing red eyes like the Hedgehog named Gehenna. As a matter of fact, almost everything about him was nearly identical, except that his body was completely solid, he wore black sandals, and on his forehead was a strange, cross-like mark, glowing blood-red eerily. The second being was a blue-gray Wolf, with dark brown eyes and a white streak down his chest. Over his hands were white gloves, and he wore dark green, metal-plated shoes with a brown leather belt, a green-hilted sword at his side. On his head was a dark green, slightly pointed cap with a black feather stuck in the side, and his wrists and ankles were cuffed with brown leather engraved with green thread, his bushy tail swishing back and forth.

Solar smirked. **"Ah, Daemon! SSSSupul! You have arrived! I need to sssspeak with you two."**

The Hedgehog, Daemon the Ammon Hedgehog, looked at the Wolf, Supul the Coin Wolf, who shrugged as he crossed his arms. Daemon looked at the white Snake. "Of what matter shall we be speaking of?"

Solar's eyes narrowed. **"The Pure SSSSword Order."**

Daemon went rigid, eyes darkening. "Continue ..." he snarled, voice filling with pure hatred at even the mention of the Christian tribe.

Solar flicked his golden, rattle tail. **"Let me put it ssssimply,"** he stated. **"The prophetessssssss, Orrin, has ssssomehow found out about our planssss towardssss the Cold Realm, mosssst likely from a mixture of her dreamssss, connectionssss with the Round Table Knightssss, and thosssse blassssted dovessss sssshe ssssendssss out from time to time. Now, Gehenna hassss brought ussss newssss that sssshe issss apparently arranging a council meeting of the Pure SSSSwords, according to information gleaned from a converssssation he had overheard between the Pure SSSSword leader and hissss heir. And we all know Mobianssss never lie to their offsssspring."**

He dipped his head down, baring his fangs. **"SSSSuch a meeting could very well develop into a much larger one in Camelot if taken sssserioussssly, and we musssst sssstop ssssuch actionssss from happening. The plan musssst be quickened. We, the Dark Onessss, cannot afford to wait any longer."**

"But, Solar!" Supul gasped. "There are still many risks! Knightius isn't a weak Kingdom, despite King Cinos being so young, and many of the Sword Guardians are much too skilled in the battle arts to be overpowered easily. The Guardian of the Mind Sword is barely thirteen, and he has defeated Ablis more times then we care to count!"

Solar hissed angrily, silencing the Wolf. **"I am aware!"** he growled. **"But never mind that. We will _MAKE_ Knightiussss weak."**

Mephitis' left ear swiveled to listen better, his snake eyes glinting. "How?" he asked.

The white creature tapped his tail against his chin thoughtfully. **"... SSSSay there issss a dark room,"** he answered cryptically. **"And there issss a persssson holding a candle. The candle issss lit, and givessss out it'ssss light, making the sssshadowssss flee. You need to put out that light to hide yoursssself and make the sssshadowssss return, but the persssson holding it will protect that flame from being blown out at all costssss. SSSSo what do you do?"**

"Invite him to go swimming?" Supul snickered.

Either Solar didn't get the joke or ignored it. **"No, you _fool!"_** he snapped, rolling his eyes. **"You dissssposssse of the one holding the candle! When the Breath of Life exitssss hissss mouth forever and he diessss, he will fall, and the candle will fall with him, hitting the sssshadowy ground and going out, thereby plunging the room into the wanted darknessssssss."**

Daemon's glowing, red eyes narrowed. "What exactly are you suggesting, Solar?"

The Snake looked down at the three Mobians. **"The room issss Knightiussss. We are the sssshadowssss, the darknessssssss. The light issss the Word of God, the candle, the Pure SSSSword Order, and the persssson, it'ssss leader. In order to put out the flame of Truth and plunge the Kingdom of Knightiussss into darknessssssss and chaossss, thussss weakening it, we musssst desssstroy the Pure SSSSword Order, and to do _THAT_, we musssst make it'ssss leader fall."**

Daemon's red eyes widened in surprise. "You don't mean ... you're _actually_ suggesting that we ..."

Solar smirked, baring his dripping fangs as he flicked out his forked tongue. **"I do, and I am, that we sssshould. Now go."**

His purple eyes glinted. **"Kill Tribe."**

* * *

_"Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."..."_

_John 12: 35–36, New King James Version (NKJV)_

_TF (TFTime)_

_W.N. (Wilbur-Nator)_


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